Indexing apparatus.



E. S. DAVIS. INDEXING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31, 1911. RENEWED JAN. 6, 1914.

Patented Aug.25, 1914.

4 SHEBTS'SHEET 1.

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J Gl'toznu wi/bmwma 5mm; ffia THE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOTO'LITHQ WASHINGTON D. C.

E. S. DAVIS.

INDEXING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 31, 1911. RENEWED JAR. s, 1014.

1, 1 08,344. Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

2 'mp mto'c ESEameS' THE NORRIS F'ETEIGS 60.. B'Hom-Lliml, WASHINGTON D. C.

E. S. DAVIS.

INDEXING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED new. 31, 1911. RENEWED um. a, 1914.

1,108,344. Patented Aug. 25, 19m

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I I 2 1 gi amemaamaaa aaemmsmmaa witnesses CM/U614 dZAwJAM- TIIE NORRIS PETERS CO, PHOYO LlfHll. WASHINGTON. D. (.7

E. S. DAVIS.

INDEXING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATIOH FILED 00-12. 31, 1911. RENEWED JAN. 6, 1914.

1,108,344. Patented Aug. 25, 191 1 THE Note/e15 PETERS CO4, PHUTULIIHDV, WAbnuvIGTON D. 4.4

nm'rni) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nnnnsr s. Davis, on nivonvinnn, :rnnnnssnn, nssienon, BY manor AND ASSIGNMENTS, T0 DAVIS AUTOMATIC FILING COMPANY, Oi BRISTOL, TENNESSEE,

A GOEPORATIO N. TENNESSEE.

INDEXING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented An ers, 1914.

Application filed October 31, 1911, Serial No. 657,846.: Renewed January 6, 1514. Serial No. 810,656. I

To cllrwhomtt may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST S. DAVIS, citizen of the United States, residing at Knoxville,in tliefcounty of Knox and State of? Tlenncssee, have invented certain new andl useful. Improvements in Indexing Appara-l tus, of which. the followingis a specification. a i

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in means for indexj ing recordsdf any character, such as records ofiin'surance policies, claims, real estate, records, and thelike, the present invention being designed especially for use in railroad offices for keeping an index card record sys tem to note the arrival, departure, and destination of freight cars, althoughit is to be understood that the invention is. not limited "to this use, but is applicablewherever rec-g ords of any character are kept, partlculally by a card index system.

The invention has for one of its primary objects an improved construction of filing case or cabinet that willbe found of maximumel'liciency and convenience in assisting the operator in almost instantly locating and extracting any card of a very large Qnumber of cards stored or contalnedwlthln the cabinet, being so arranged that no 1natter how many cards may be used, say ten. thousand or twenty thousand, the operator may almost instantly find any card by only three simple movements, one of which is the 1 pulling out and turning around to convenient inspecting position one of the drawers of the cabinet containing preferably a plurality of cases; and, secondly, in pressing down a designated keyto raise, in one of said cases, a receptacle containing a number of designated cards, "where theone desired is to be found; and, thirdly, in removing said card from the others in the receptacle.

The invention also has for its object a filing cabinet of this character embodying JlYlPPO'VQCl mechanism whereby the drawers containing the cases which hold the card receptacles may, by a single movement on the part of the operator, be pulled forward out of the cabinet and automatically turned around to convenient position for the operator in front of the cabinet or table supportingthe latter, and whereby such movement willresult not only in turning the drawer around to a proper angle, but also result in swinging the plurality of cases outwardto an inclined positions-s a whole or set, and

facilitate the operation of raising a11ycard receptacle and extractlnga card therefronn And the invention also aims to simplify and generally improve card indexing appliances and render the same more useful and com merc ally desirable.

W'1th these and other objects in View, the

invention consists in certain constructions, relationsand combinatlons of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the inven- ,tion, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in

which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cabif net of my invention, and a table upon which it may be conveniently supported, one of the drawers being shown pulled out; Fig. if

isa detail; Fig. 2 is atransverse sectional view thereof; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3--3 of 2; the, G and 7. are different views of the card cases and receptacles therefor; Figs. 8 and 9 are do tail vertical sectional views through one of the drawers and the cases contained therein; Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of one of the card receptacles; Figs. 11 and 1 are bottom plan views of one of the drawer supporting bars, and Fig. 12, shown on shoe 2, is a fragmentary top view thereof. Corresponding and like parts are desig nated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

Referring tothe drawings, the numeral .1.

designates the bodv portion or housing of my improved cabinet, the samebcing pro vided with abase 2, a back 3, too 4-, and

sides 5, the front of the cabinet being open,

and the base extending forward of the open front the required distance to provide for the support and proper actuation of the drawer supporting bars hereinafter specifi cally described. If desired, the cabinet 1 may be SHPPOI'iLQl'l upon a specially devised table frame 6, and used in connection with a shelf or leaf 7 carried by side arms E notched as at 9 to dctachably engage the front edge of the extended forward portion of the base 2 so as to support the table loaf in front of and in a convenient plane above the cabinet. In, the present lnstance, thls leaf has its side arms 8 pivotally connected to links 10 that are pivoted to the sides of the table frame 6, whereby the leaf may be disengaged from the base 2 when not required and swung down to the dotted l1ne position illustrated in Fig. 2 in engagement with the front legs of the table frame and resting pen supporting lugs 11. It is to be understood that the table frame and the leaf 7 and correlated parts form no part of the present invention, but are shown and described merely to give a better idea of the completeness and the resultant conventhe open front of the cabinet; 1 in their re tracted or closed position, there being ten of these drawers in the-present embodiment of the invention, numbered from O to 9, although it is to be understood that the inv'ention is not limited to this 'ninnber or to any number of drawers, the number, of cour e, depending upon the size of the-records to be kept, or upon other exigencies of the case. As these drawers are all alike, a description of one will suflice, the drawer designated 9, at the right hand end of the cabinet, being selected. This drawer includes a bottom supporting bar 13 extending forwardly over the forwardentension of the base 2, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1,2, and 3, a rear standard 1 1, rigid with and rising upwardly from the supporting bar 13 near the rear ent thereof, a relatively short upper bar 15 connected to-and extending forwardly from the upper end of the standard 14:, and braces 16 secured to the bars 13 and 15 and the standard 14 to reinforce and strengthen the parts. the present embodiment of the invention, includes a side 17, which is pivoted at its upper and lower edges, intermediate the ends thereof, as at 18, to swing about a vertical axis or pivot carriedby the upper bar 15 and arm 13, said sidehaving secured to its normally forward edge a vertically disposed and elongated panel or strip 19, serv ing with its companion panels of the other drawers to present a closed front to the cabinet when the drawers are all pushed in. The side 1T1 of the drawer is pro 'rided at its lower edge with a horizontally projecting arm 20, rigidly connected thereto, said arm carrying a pin 21 which is movable in a curved slot 22 formed in the supporting bar 13, the lower end of said pinbeing connectec The drawer also, in

bottom face ofthe supporting bar 13 and the lrnob 25 of the slide and the wearing plateQG thereof working on the upper face of the bar, in suitably formed guide ways, as clearly illustrated in the drawing. At this point it will be understood that when the knob 25 is grasped and the sliding bar 13 pulled forwardly, the drawer 12 will be moved out of the cabinet and will also be turned around to face the operator through the instrumentality of the slide 24: and its link connection 23 with the eccentrically located pin 21- of the drawer- The amount of this. turning movement may be limited in any desired? way. as required, whereby for the sake of-con'venience, the end'drawers may assume, say, aposition at an angle 1 of 1 about 45 degrees, 1n. opposite directions,

to the open front of the cabinet, the intermediate drawers gradually increasing the angle until the middle drawers,'in open position, assume, say, an angle, of nearly 90*degrees to the face of the cabinet.

The drawer 12 contains a case supporting frame 2'r, wh1ch may be formedof wire, as

indicated in the drawings, said frame being in which a pin 30 works, said pin extending forwardly from the supporting bar 13 "in on t relation to the axis 18 ofthe drawer, whereby as the drawer'istunned' the frame will be swung outwardly and: forwardly therefrom. This frame 27'contains any de sired number of case supporting bars 31 designed to support" card receptacle cases which. are live in number in the present instance, andwhich are in the form of open top boxes, swung at their. rear upper edges upon the bars 31, whereby as the lower end of the frame 27. is moved outwardly, the cases will automatically by gravity tilt forward to the convenient )osition illustrated in Figs. 1 and 9 fromthe upright or vertical position that they are compelled to assume by engagement with-the side 17 of: the-drawer when the frame is swung inwardly to an inoperative position, as illustrated in Fig.1 8. In orderto prevent injury to the parts and simplify and renderpositive the operation of the apparatus, 1 provide certain lockingdevices, one of which looks the slide Qatto the supporting bar 13 when the drawer is pushed in and until, in the opening movement of the drawer, .its rear edge has passed at of the-cabinet,.means whereby such lock ing device will be automatically unlocked whenthe drawer has reached that position soas to permit: the-movement of the slideindependently of. the supporting bar to'turn the door around into its operative position, and another locking device .wlnch autoglance at the numeral 3 above the larger numeral. 4, and run his eye immediately back and withdraw the proper card, the top of which is in alinement with said numeral} 3. As another example, let it be assumed that the operator desires the index card containing the number 8321. He will pull out the 8 drawer, reach his hand toward the case containing the numeral 3 on its front, will depress key No. 2 in said'case, and will extract card No. 1 of the receptacle thereby raised. It is believed that these two examples are sufiicient to show how the system operates. As an amplification of the system, should, for instance, the operator? desire the card numbered 129453, or 309453, he will still go to the 9 drawer, and to No. 4 case of said drawer, depress key 5,;

and extract card 3, for each card indexedas;

9453, this number being printed thereom, .will contain a plurality of duplications of such number with spaces in front wherein the other numbers preceding the 9 may be placed.

It will thus be seen that I have providedv a very simple and efficient svstem for indexing cards which will facilitate to a consid-g erable degree the operation of finding any card indexed. Furthermore, it will be noted that the system, like other card indexing: systems, is a practically continuous one, because after any card has been filled up, it may be removed from the case and filed among permanent records, and replaced by a new card without disturbing any of the other cards or requiring a complete new ap paratus, as is necessary where records are kept in permanently bound books or the like.

Fig. 1 shows one of the cards, designated C. it will be noted that this card contains on its base ruled lines inwhich the number 9510 appears ten times. In advance oi"- each of these numbers are two columns forming. blank spaces or panels in which additional numbers may be inserted, where the number to be indexed is, for instance, 5 or 6 digit index number.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A filing appliance, including a cabinet, a drawer movable into and out of the cabinet, means for withdrawing the drawer from the cabinet and for turning it around after its withdrawal, and means forlocle ing the turning means and for automatically releasing the same upon the withdrawal of the drawer from the-cabinet.

2; A filing appliance, including a cabinet, a drawer movable into andout of the cabi' net, means for withdrawing the drawer from the cabinet, means for turning the. drawer, means for automatically locking the turning means when the drawer is in the cabinet, means for automatically releasing,

ran ed to turn the latter on its axis upon position.

said locking means upon the withdrawal its initial position.

3. A filingappliance, including a cabinet,

. a drawer movable into and out of the cabinet, means: for pulling the drawer out of the cabinet and pushing it into the same, means for turning the drawer around from the plane it occupies in the cabinet, and means 1 for preventing the inward movement of the drawer pulling means, that is, in the direction to replace the drawer in the cabinet, until the drawer has been turned back again into such plane.

l. A filing appliance, including a cabinet, a drawer movable into and out of the cabi-.

net, a supporting bar sliding into and out of the cabinet and supporting said drawer, the drawer being mounted to turn on said bar,

and means carried by the bar for turning the drawer.

A filing appliance, including a cabinet, a sliding bar movable into and out of the cabinet, a drawer mounted to turn on said bar and movable thereby into and out of the cabinet, means for locking the drawer in the plane ofthe bar, in the withdrawing movement of the bar until the latter has been entirely removed from the cabinet, means for then automatically releasing said lock ng means, and means for turning the drawer on the bar in the subsequent con tinued movement thereof.

6. A filing appliance, including a cabinet, a supporting bar slidable into and out of the cabinet, a drawer supported by said bar and pivotally mounted thereon, a slide movable on the bar, and a link and pin connection between said slide and the drawer arg a movement of the slide on the bar.

7. A. filing appliance, including a cabinet, a bar mounted to slide into and out of the cabinet, a drawer supported by said bar and pivotally mounted thereon, a slide mounted on the bar, an eccentric pin and link connection between said slide'and the drawer, a latch adapted to engage said pin and hold the drawer locked and the slide against movement independently of the bar in one portion of the movement of thelatter, means for automatically releasing the latch from the pin at the end of such portion of the bars movement, whereby to permit the slide to move and turn the drawer, a latch adapted to lock the bar against inward movement with the drawer ina turned position relative to the bar, and means for automatically releasing said last-named latch upon the turning of the drawer back to its original 8. A filing appliance, including a cabinet, a bar mounted to slide lnto and out of the cabinet, a drawer supported by said bar and pivotally mounted thereon, a slide mounted i on the bar, an eccentric pin and link conneo tion between said slide and the drawer, a latch adapted to engage said pin and hold the drawer locked and the slide against movement independently of the bar in one portion of the movement of the latter, means for automatically releasing the latch from the pm at the end of such portion of the bars movement, whereby to perijmt the slide a to move and turn the drawer, a latch adapted to lock the bar against inward movement with the drawer in a turned position relative to the bar, and means for automatically releasing said last-named latch upon the turning of the drawer back to its original position, said releasing means 1 for the last-named latch consisting of a pin secured to the link, the said latch being formed with a slot accommodating said pin. i

9. A filing appliance, including a cabinet,

a drawer movable into and out of the cabinet, means for withdrawing the drawer from the cabinet and for turning the: drawer around, a supportlng frame carried by the drawer, and means for automatically mov-,

ing said frame out from the drawer into an operative position upon the withdrawal and turning of the drawer.

10. A filing appliance, including a cabinet, a drawer movable into and out of the cabinet, a pivotedsupporting frame carried by the drawer, means for withdrawing the drawer from the cabinet, means for turning the drawer around, and a connection between said frame and the drawer turning means effecting the outward movement of the frame upon the turning movement of the drawer.

11. A filing appliance, including a cabinet, a drawer movable into and out of the cabinet, means for withdrawing the drawer net, a drawer movableinto and out of the cabinet, means for withdrawing the drawer frem the cabinet and for turning the drawer around, a case supporting frame movable into and out of the drawer, a case hinged at its upper rear edge to the frame and adapted to be held in vertical position by the rear 1 side of the drawer, and means for automatically moving the frame out from the drawer to allow the case to tilt upon the turning movement of the drawer.

4.8. A filing appliance, including a cabi net, a drawer movable into and out of the y cabinet, means for withdrawing the drawer from the cabinet, means for turning the drawer after it has been withdrawn from the cabinet, a case supporting frame pivoted at its pper end in the drawer, means for moving the lower end of the frame out of the, case upon the turning movement of the drawer, the frame being provided with a supporting bar, and a case loosely hung from its upper rear edge upon said bar.

ll. A filing appliance, including a cabinet, a bar movable into and out of the cabinet, a drawer supported by said bar and pivotally mounted thereon to turn about a vertical axis, the bar being horizontally mov able, a pin connected to the drawer, a slide mounted on the bar and having a linkcon- I ncctien with said pin, a latch mounted on the bar and formed with a slot, the link being provlded with a pm werklng in said slot, another latch connected. to the bar in proximity to the first-named p111, and separate and distinct pins arranged to engage said. latch to turn it into engagement with the first-named pin, to disengage said latch fromthe first-named pin, and to engage the first-named latch, for the purpose specified.

15. A filing appliance, including a cabinot, a drawer movable into and out of the cabinet, means for withdrawing the drawer 1 from the cabinet, and for turning th drawer around, a pivoted frame mounted in the drawer, and a pin and slot connection be tween said frame and the moving means, whereby the turning of the drawer wil cause said frame to swing out. p 16. A filing appliance, including a cabinet, a drawer movable into and out of the cabinet, a frame movable into and out of the drawer, a bar supporting said drawer and movable therewith, and means for with drawing the drawer, for turning the same around, and for moving the frame out of the drawer, all in a single movement of said bar. lnt stimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

nnnnsr s. DAVIS. as if -Witn esses v a J.D, YoAKL'sr,

Fnnonnron S. STIT'I'.

Copies a: this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or lateitl, r Washington, I). G. a 

